Ira copeland



@einen I tstts @Eintritt @frn IRA COPELAND, OF NORTH BRIDGEWATER, `'MASSACllIllSlll'lS. Leners Patent No. 73,300, ma Jqmmy 14,1868.

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TQ ALL WHOM- IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, IRA COPELANpD, of North Bridgewater, in the county of Plymouth, and State 4of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Fruit-Box.; and Ido herebydeclare thatfthe following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form'part of this specification, is a description of my invention sucient to enable those skilled in the art to practise it. Q

This invention relates to the detail of construction'of boxes to be employed for marketing small fruits, or for other purposes, in the mattei' of securing their covers, and also, in connection therewith, to provision for Ventilating the contents of the boxes. I Y

thevbox.

Figure 2 is asimilar view, but with the cover secured to the bottom of the box; and l Figure 3 is a cross vertical section of the box, with the cover secured to one side of the box.

One of the objects of my invention is the arrangement of the cover in such a way, and by such means, that whether the box is open or closed, its 'cover shall always be so connected with the bo'x as to be secured from loss and 'protected by the box-body from breakage. This 'Iaccomplish by the employmen-t of elastic cords, straps, or bands, which are attached either to the-sides or ends of the box, about midway of their height, which elastics are'also attached to the cover, or pass o'v-er it, or are attached to a strip or strips, which pass over the cover;` and it is in such arrangement ofelas'tics, in connection with the covers, andthe sides or ends of a box, that this part of m'y invention consists, while the other parts of my invention depend upon combinations of devices, not novel in themselves, but new in combination with the said arrangement of ela-stics. The use of elastics on bill-files, pocket-books, Ste., ,is well known to me, but in no instance am I awarejof its employment in the manner herein described, that is to say, attached to sides or ends of arbox about midway of the height thereof, so that they can turn like links orrradii on or about the points of their attachment to said sides or ends, so thatpthe box-cover can be held by the elastics to the top orbottom of the box, Vwith about an equal strain on the elastics in either case.

' In all the drawings, a representsY the sides of my box, the ends, c the bottom, nl the top, and e the' elas tics, usually and preferably pieces of rubber; or ,rubber cord or braid, or they might be made as or of helical springs.

' 'The'Figures 4 and 5 showmodifications of the manner of applying the elasticse, eachmodiication retaining, however, the distinctive characteristic of my invention in the matter of its attachment to the sides or ends of the box, at about the middle oi' their height. In all the {igures the points of attachment of the elastics to the box-body are markedf, and are about in the centre of the height of boxes shown, while they vary as to the detail by'w-hich they are madeto operate upon the cover. In figs. 1, 2, and 3, cleats are xed on the top surface of the cover, and the knotted ends'of the elastics are caught into suitable recesses formed in the cleats and cover. This arrangement I deem preferable for what I term half boxes, as thereby the part of the elastic is saved which in g. 5 is shown as passing over the outside of the cover, said part having but little elastic oper ation. In the whole or square box shown in fig..4,'I make .use of slats into which the elastics are confined, as they are in the cleats g. kTo prevent the cover from slipping sideways er endways on the top of the box, I place steady-pins, z', in 'the tops ofthe ends, and make corresponding depressions in the underneath side of the cover. To provide for ventilation, I'make thebottom'narrower than the width of the box, and if desired pierce it with holes. At the top I make the sides fall short ofthe entire height of the ends. These half boXesImake of such proportions that they pack conveniently in nests .of foar when empty, the ends of two being inserted `into the other two, and crosswise with respect to the same. '.Between the cleats g, and on the top of the cover d, thenecessary labels may be located, they being protected from injury Aby,the cleats, whether the cover is on the top of the box closing-it, or whether it is beneath the box, or'on its side, as when empty or disclosing its contents. When these boxes are full, and are packed in crates, the cleats keep the adjacent tops and bottoms sullcientlyapart to let the air circulate and enter the boxes through the openings left by the narrow bottom.

The construction described supplies a want long felt of a cheap box for marketing fruit,` in which suicient Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective of a box embodying my invention, with the cover in place to close ventilation can be had, -whicli will pack closely both full and empty, and in which the cover is-not. liable to be lost or injured.

I claim a box, in which the cover is secured to thebody by means of one or more elastic media, arranged so as to operate substantially as described.y

Also, providing a cover, when secured as described, with cross-pieces on its outer surface, so that said cross-pieces serve to keep apart the bottoms and tops of adjacent boxes when packed in crates, and thus permit circulation of air between the boxes, and also serve as feet for the boxes to rest upon when the cover is secured beneath the box, as in lling, or when used as a show-box, and prevent injury to any marks or labels which are upon the outer surface of the cover.

Also, in combination with a box in which the cover is secured as described, and with such cover, the dowel or steady-pins and holes, substantially asqancl for the purpose specified. l

Also, in combination with elastic media, secured to the sides or ends of boxes substantially as described, cross-bars, or slats, or strips of wood, or other suitable material, which serve to reduce the length and. cost of the elastics.

IRA COPELAND.

Witn esses J. B." CROSBY, FRANCIS GoULD. 

